BARACK OBAMA: BRITAIN AND U.S. WILL FORGE NEW WORLD

BARACK Obama last night invoked the spirit of Winston Churchill by pledging that Britain and America will “march straight forward together” to forge a new world of peace and prosperity.

In a historic speech to both Houses of Parliament seeking to lay to rest the fears that his White House has turned its back on the transatlantic relationship, the US President hailed the ties between the two nations as “one of the oldest and one of the strongest alliances the world has ever known.”

Vowing to continue standing together amid turmoil in the Middle East, he said: “Let there be no doubt, the United States and United Kingdom stand squarely on the side of those who long to be free. And now we must show that we will back up those words with deeds.”

In recognition of Britain’s record in standing up against tyranny, he used the words of Churchill at the conclusion of his address.

“In the long years to come, not only will the people of this island but the world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in the human heart, look back to what we have done and they will say: Do not despair, do not yield, march straight forward,” said the President, quoting Churchill’s speech on Victory in Europe day in 1945.

His soaring 40-minute speech to MPs and peers, covering a vast sweep of the history of the two nations, was last night being seen as an inspiring climax to his widely-acclaimed state visit.

Among the audience were former Prime Ministers Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and Sir John Major and almost all MPs.

Making light of the significance of the moment, he said: “I am told that the last three speakers here have been the Pope, Her Majesty the Queen, and Nelson Mandela – which is either a very high bar or the beginning of a very funny joke.”

Reflecting on his own rise from humble origins, the President drew loud applause for saying: “It’s possible for hearts to change and old hatreds to pass. It’s possible for the sons and daughters of former colonies to sit here as members of this great Parliament, and for the grandson of a Kenyan who served as a cook in the British Army to stand before you as President of the United States.”

He reflected on how Churchill and US President Franklin Roosevelt had stood up to Nazi tyranny, and how the two nations had remained united against Soviet ­Communism.

And he insisted the two nations would remain standing together.

“After a difficult decade that began with war and ended in recession, our nations have arrived at a pivotal moment once more,” Mr Obama said.

“Together, we have met great challenges. But as we enter this new chapter in our shared history, profound challenges stretch before us.

“The time for our leadership is now. It was the United States and the United Kingdom and our democratic allies that shaped a world in which new nations could emerge and individuals could thrive.

“And even as more nations take on the responsibilities of global leadership, our alliance will remain indispensable to the goal of a century that is more peaceful, more prosperous and more just.”

He vowed that Britain and the US would continue their joint fight against Al Qaeda following the killing Osama Bin Laden. Reaching his stirring conclusion, President Obama added: “With courage and purpose, with humility and with hope, with faith in the promise of tomorrow, let us march straight forward, together, enduring allies in the cause of a world that is more peaceful, more prosperous and more just.”

Mr Obama was applauded enthusiastically and mobbed by MPs and peers. But there were signs of widely differing approaches between the President and the Prime Minister to dealing with debt.

Earlier in the garden of Whitehall’s Lancaster House, the pair agreed to differ over the pace of cutting government deficits.

The President said he and Conservative Mr Cameron saw “eye to eye” on a host of issues. But he declined an invitation to praise Mr Cameron for leading the way on deficit reduction.

And he also declined to say the US would put in more resources to the international effort in Libya, telling reporters America had done the “lion’s share” at the start of the campaign.

On Libya, both Mr Cameron and Mr Obama said Gaddafi must leave power but stressed Nato action would remain within the limits of the UN resolution permitting only action to protect Libyan civilians.

Both men called on other Arab and north African leaders to pave the way for political reforms, and said this was a vital year for starting to turn Afghanistan over to the control of its people.